He had finished his talk, and was replacing the receiver when a knock at the door heralded the entry of the detective.
He looked anxiously at the minister.
“Nobody been, sir?” he asked.
Sir Philip smiled.
“If by that you mean have the Four delivered their ultimatum in person, I can comfort your mind—they have not.”
The detective’s face was evidence of his relief.
“Thank Heaven!” he said fervently. “I had an awful dread that whilst I was away something would happen. But I have news for you, sir.”
“Indeed!”
“Yes, sir, the commissioner has received a long cable from America. Since the two murders in that country one of Pinkerton’s men has been engaged in collecting data. For years he has been piecing together the scrappy evidence he has been able to secure, and this is his cablegram.” The detective drew a paper from his pocket and, spreading it on the desk, read:
Pinkerton, Chicago, to Commissioner of Police, Scotland Yard, London.
Warn Ramon that the Four do not go outside their promise. If they have threatened to kill in a certain manner at a certain time they will be punctual. We have proof of this characteristic. After Anderson’s death small memorandum book was discovered outside window of room evidently dropped. Book was empty save for three pages, which were filled with neatly written memoranda headed “Six methods of execution.” It was initialed C. (third letter in alphabet). Warn Ramon against following: drinking coffee in any form, opening letters or parcels, using soap that has not been manufactured under eye of trustworthy agent, sitting in any room other than that occupied day and night by police officer. Examine his bedroom; see if there is any method by which heavy gases can be introduced. We are sending two men by Lucania to watch.
The detective finished reading. “Watch” was not the last word in the original message, as he knew. There had been an ominous postscript, “Afraid they will arrive too late.”
“Then you think?” asked the statesman.
“That your danger lies in doing one of the things that Pinkerton warns us against,” replied the detective. “There is no fear that the American police are talking idly. They have based their warning on some sure knowledge, and that is why I regard their cable as important.”
There was a sharp rap on the panel of the door, and without waiting for invitation the private secretary walked into the room, excitedly waving a newspaper.
“Look at this!” he cried. “Read this! The Four have admitted their failure.”
“What!” shouted the detective, reaching for the journal.
“What does this mean?” asked Sir Philip, sharply.
“Only this, sir: these beggars, it appears, have actually written an article on their ‘mission.’ ”
“In what newspaper?”
“The Megaphone. It seems when they recaptured Thery the editor asked the masked man to write him an article about himself, and they’ve done it; and it’s here, and they’ve admitted defeat, and—and—”
The detective had seized the paper and broke in upon the incoherent secretary’s speech.
“ ‘The Creed of the Four Just Men,’ ” he read. “Where is their confession of failure?”
“Halfway down the column—I have marked the passage—here,” and the young man pointed with a trembling finger to a paragraph.
“ ‘We leave nothing to chance,’ ” read the detective; “ ‘if the slightest hitch occurs, if the least detail of our plan miscarries, we acknowledge defeat. So assured are we that our presence on earth is necessary for the carrying out of a great plan, so certain are we that we are the indispensable instruments of a Divine Providence, that we dare not, for the sake of our very cause, accept unnecessary risks. It is essential, therefore, that the various preliminaries to every execution should be carried out to the full. As an example, it will be necessary for us to deliver our final warning to Sir Philip Ramon; and to add point to this warning, it is, by our code, essential that that should be handed to the minister by one of us in person. All arrangements have been made to carry this portion of our programme into effect. But such are the extraordinary exigencies of our system that unless this warning can be handed to Sir Philip in accordance with our promise, and before eight o’clock this evening, our arrangements fall to the ground, and the execution we have planned must be foregone.’ ”
The detective stopped reading, with disappointment visible on every line of his face.
“I thought, sir, by the way you were carrying on that you had discovered something new. I’ve read all this; a copy of the article was sent to the Yard as soon as it was received.”
The secretary thumped the desk impatiently.
“But don’t you see!” he cried. “Don’t you understand, that there is no longer any need to guard Sir Philip, that there is no reason to use him as a bait, or, in fact, to do anything if we are to believe these men—look at the time—”
The detective’s hand flew to his pocket; he drew out his watch, looked at the dial and whistled.
“Half-past eight, by God,” he muttered in astonishment, and the three stood in surprised silence.
Sir Philip broke the silence.
“Is it a ruse to take us off our guard?” he said hoarsely.
“I don’t think so,” replied the detective slowly, “I feel sure that it is not; nor shall I relax my watch—but I am a believer in the honesty of these men—I don’t know why I should say this, for I have been dealing with criminals for the past twenty-five years, and never once have I put an ounce of faith in the word of the best of ’em, but somehow I can’t disbelieve these men. If they have failed to deliver their message they will not trouble us again.”
Ramon paced his room with quick, nervous steps.
“I wish I could believe that,” he muttered; “I wish I had your faith.”
A tap on the door panel.
“An urgent telegram for Sir Philip,” said a grey-haired attendant.
The minister stretched out his hand, but the detective was before
